"When John (her husband) told him he wanted absolutely painless dentistry, Dr. Snyder assured he got that," Pepe said. "He even gives you numbing stuff before you get the novocaine. He would even give you headphones if you wanted to listen to music (during teeth cleanings).

"He is a very considerate, skilled and upbeat fellow," Pepe continued. "We knew this day would come (when he would retire) but when he announced it, we cried."

Pepe is far from alone in her admiration of Snyder. At a farewell fete at the Ridgewood Country Club last Saturday, Snyder was overwhelmed by the stories shared by his colleagues -- his multi-disciplinary practice has 25 dentists and oral specialists, with a total of 150 staff members -- and the incredible wishes offered by patients since he announced his pending retirement three months ago. His last day on the job will be Dec. 27.

"I've had more hugs and kisses in the last three months than I've had in 35 years from people saying goodbye," said Snyder, who is hailed for his exceptional attention to patient service, including his no-wait appointments.

Certainly, Snyder said his decision to retire is "extraordinarily bittersweet."

Though ready to spend more time on hobbies that range from horseback riding and waterskiing to underwater photography, golf and piloting his own plane, Snyder said he will miss the relationships he has developed with so many patients over the years.

Snyder and his wife, Phyllis, both of whom are active in the greater Danbury community, have two adult children, Dani, 30, and David, 25. Once he retires, the couple intend to divide their time between their Brookfield home and a winter home in West Palm Beach, Fla.

"My philosophy, developed in the early 1970s, was to provide a service that was caring, painless and encompassing of a patient's total dental health care," Snyder said.

On an annual basis, Dental Associates serves some 50,000 patients, with about 100,000 dental appointments per year. Yet even with those large numbers, Snyder built the practice so that it would not operate as a clinic. Rather, each dentist and specialist operate as their own team so that patients develop a relationship with their own group of doctors under a larger umbrella organization.

In 1971, after graduating from New York University dental school, Snyder joined Dr. Larry Daum's dental practice in Newtown. He said he selected Daum as a fellow practitioner because of the senior dentist's progressive philosophies in an era when dentistry was a dreaded medical field because patients' options for oral hygiene were limited and often painful, he said.

Within six months, Snyder embraced Daum's belief that teeth restoration and maintenance was the wave of the future. Together, Snyder said, they endorsed the belief that removing a tooth was a last resort.

They also shared the belief that dental education required a more holistic approach, and wanted to build a practice with specialities attached to it rather than requiring a patient to seek them out separately. In 1976, the two hired their first specialist, a periodontist -- a dentist who specializes in gum disease.

"Thus began Dental Associates," Snyder said of the practice that now includes a wide range of dental specialities including pediatric dentistry, orthodontics and oral surgery.

His soon-to-be-replacement as the practice's managing partner, Dr. Robert Aledort, said he is stepping into big shoes.

When Snyder informed his colleagues of his retirement plans, Aledort said they were all nervous.

"He's one of the most generous people I've ever met," Aledort said, noting Snyder's "amazing" patient rapport. "Every one of the dentists here he has personally helped develop. We're all sort of products of him."

Snyder has no doubts about his colleagues' ability to step up so that his "legacy will continue and prosper."

"When one sets goals for one's life, there are certain expectations one wants to achieve. I feel I have gone beyond any expectations I could or would have had, and fulfilled everything I would have dreamed of. It's a great way to finish," Snyder said.